Needle bar bearing mechanism



March 5,1935. F A, RE -3E 1,993,350

NEEDLE BAR BEARING MECHANISM Filed Aug. 21, 1953 Patented Mar. 5, 1935UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

The object of my invention is to provide an.

improved bearing mechanism for the needle bar, which will permit thenecessary movement of the bar, and which will be simple, practical andemcient. I have, therefore, devised a bearingmechanism consisting of athin flexible metallic disk mounted in a sleeve slidable on the needlebar and securely clamped in the frame of the button hole machine. Such adevice functions as a universal joint, permits entire freedom andaccuracy of movement of the needle bar, is economical to manufacture,practically never re.'

quires repair, and presents no problem of lubrication.

In the accompanying drawing "I have shown my invention applied to abutton hole sewing machine, with only such parts of the machine itselfshown as will serve to illustrate the invention.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a part of a button hole sewingmachine head showing the needle bar arranged therein, together with myimproved bearing mechanism;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the frame and needlebar mechanism upon line 2-2 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the needle bar mechanism.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the bearing mechanism assembled, andFig. 5 is a perspective. view of the parts com- 45- prising the bearingmechanism in disassembled relation.

Before explaining in detail the present invention it is to be understoodthat the invention is not limited in its application to. the details ofconstruction and arrangement of parts. illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and ofbeing practiced or carried-out in various ways.Alsoitistobeunderstoodthatthephraseology orterminology employed hereinis for the purpose of description and not of limitation, and it is notintended to limit the invention claimed herein beyond the requirementsof the .prior art.

In the drawing 10 repr'esentsthe frame of the stitching machine and 11is the forwardly ex- 5 tending arm, which accommodates the needle bar 12and its supporting, guiding and operating mechanism. As the operatingmechanism for reciprocating, rotating and oscillating the needle bar iswell known, and forms no part of this in- 10 vention, its specificdescription is omitted.

The bearing mechanism constituting my invention for supporting andguiding the needle bar is mounted at the upper end of the arm 11 andconstitutes an annular flanged supporting 5 member 13, threaded on itsinner surface above the flange 14 to receive the locking nut 15. Thebearing mechanism consists of a sleeve member 1 16 slidable upon theneedle bar 12, and having the flange 17 and being screw threaded on the20 inner surface of its upper end-18 to accommodate the locking nut 19.A thin round flexible metallic disk 20 flts over the upper end 18 of thesleeve member 16, and when the locking nut 19 is in' place, the disk 20is securely held through its 25 center between the flange 17 and thelower edge of the locking nut 19. The rim or periphery of the disk 20 isin turn securely held between the flange 14 of the supporting member 13,and the lower surface of the locking nut 15.

Being thus supported it is obvious. that the flexible disk 20 permitsfree and accurate movement of the needle bar. The needle bar is free toreciprocate axially and to rotate by sliding and turning in the sleevemember 16, and is free to 35 I oscillate because of the flexibility ofthe disk 20. It will thus be seen that complete freedom of movement forthe needle bar is provided, without the necessity of using a complicateduniversal joint which is continually getting out of order and needingrepair and requiring careful lubrication. The bearing mechanism isextremely simple and cheap to manufacture and performs emciently inoperation.

I claim:

'1. In a button hole sewing machine, the combination of a frame, aneedle bar, a bearing mechanism for said bar for permitting longitudinalreciprocation, lateral oscillation, and rotation of said needle bar,comprising a sleeve mem- 50 her shdable on said her, and a flexible disksecured :to said sleeve member and-to the frame.

2. In a button hole sewing machine, the combination of a frame. a.needle bar, a bearing forsaidbarforpermittiulcngitu-li dinalreciprocation, lateral oscillation, and rotation of said needle bar,comprising a sleeve member slidable on said bar, and a flexible disksecured at its center to the sleeve member and at its periphery in theframe.

3. In a button hole sewing machine, the combination of a frame, a needlebar, a bearing mechanism for said bar for permitting longitudinalreciprocation, lateral oscillation, and rotation of said needle bar,comprising a flanged sleeve member slidable on said bar, a flexibledisk, means for securing said flexible disk at its center to said sleevemember, and means in said framefor securing the periphery of said disk.

4. In a button hole sewing machine, the combination of a frame, a needlebar, a-bearing mechanism for said bar for permitting longitudinalreciprocation, lateral oscillation, and rotation of said needle bar,comprising a flanged sleeve member slidable on saidbar, a flexible disk,a locking nut for securing said flexible disk at its center to saidsleeve member, a flanged pocket in said frame to receive the peripheryof said disk and a locking nut for securing said 10 disk in said pocket.

FRANKLIN A. REECE.

